


On The Edge

by staymagical



Series: Keithtober 2019 [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Keithtober 2019, Klancetober 2019, Lance (Voltron) Being an Idiot, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), nothing new there, they're both idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-28 21:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20973320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staymagical/pseuds/staymagical
Summary: Lance doubts his usefulness. Keith makes sure he knows exactly why he's needed.“I’m fine,” Lance says with a humorless chuckle. “Everything’s fine.”“Is it?” Keith stops a few feet away, not wanting to encroach in Lance’s space and put him even more on edge. “Look, I may not be very good at—” he gestures between them, to the friendship that always seems to be teetering on the edge of something else, “—any of this stuff but I know when something is wrong. And something is wrong. Talk to me.”





	On The Edge

**Author's Note:**

> The last part is for Keithober Day 9: Family

Keith finally finds him in the control room. 

The map of the stars is open, a vast array of endless solar systems and universes filling up the space. Lance stands in the middle of it, the light from the stars playing off the freckles on his face. He has one hand raised, fingering a swirling solar system suspended just below his shoulder with the most raw and open expression of despair on his face that Keith has seen in a while. Even without having studied the map, Keith knows which system it is. 

Earth. Home.

“Lance?”

Lance’s head shoots up. “Oh hey,” and a poor imitation of a smile tugs at his lips, strained at the edges. It’s so flimsy and brittle Keith can see right through it to the sorrow beneath. “Uh, just looking at this new solar system. It’s quite something.”

And Keith wants to scream. 

Lance is hurting, tearing at the seams for a reason he has thus far kept bound tight under lock and key. And he thinks they are all fooled, that his cheerful masks and half-hearted jokes are enough of a facade to maintain his usual animated personality. He thinks that no one will notice how the blinding light in his eyes is oh so dim.

But Keith did. 

And he’ll be damned if he lets this go on any longer. Not if there’s something he can do about it.

Keith ignores Lance’s blatant diversion from the truth. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“What?” Lance frowns, staring at the star chart. “The solar system?”

“No,” Keith says, taking a measured step into the room. Lance is studiously not looking in his direction, trying to pretend he’s engrossed in the planets and stars before him. But the weight pulling at his shoulders, the straight line of his back is evidence enough of the tension running through him. Keith itches to ease it with his fingers, run his hands along the creases until they smooth out. “Whatever has been bothering you these past few movements.”

“I’m fine,” Lance says with a humorless chuckle. “Everything’s fine.”

“Is it?” Keith stops a few feet away, not wanting to encroach in Lance’s space and put him even more on edge. “Look, I may not be very good at—” he gestures between them, to the friendship that always seems to be teetering on the edge of something else, “—any of this stuff but I know when something is wrong. And something is wrong. Talk to me.”

Lance sucks in his bottom lip, worrying it with his teeth as a thick deep silence falls over the room. And that’s fine by Keith. He can wait. However long it takes, he can wait for Lance.

Finally, on an exhale of breath, Lance whispers to the charts, “I—I don’t know what I’m doing here anymore.”

Keith blinks, caught off guard by the unexpected answer. “What do you mean?” he asks. 

“I mean I don’t know what I’m still doing here!” Lance shouts, whirling around with his arms thrown wide to finally face Keith. And there, there is that spark in his eyes, some hint emotion though it’s not a positive one. But it's there in the open and not held behind a veneer so Keith counts it as a win. 

Lance barrels on, “I’m clearly the weakest link, unable to bring anything important to the table beside my ability to pilot one of the lions. But now even that seems debatable. You’re better with Red, Allura clearly excels with Blue, so why am I here? I don’t have Pidge’s brain, or Hunk’s hands, or your fighting ability or Allura’s,” he pauses, gesticulating madly to nothing in particular, “everything. And I damn well can’t lead like Shiro can.” 

Lance groans, running a hand down his face. And with the movement, the vibrant spark in his eyes dims once more and his body all but folds in on itself. He’s breaking, Keith can see it. This has been eating away at him for movements, tearing his confidence, his psyche to shreds until all he has left is tatters amongst the overpowering doubt and fear and despair. 

“Maybe,” Lance continues, voice low, cracking. “Maybe it’s best I just step aside and let the real heroes save the universe.” He chuckles again but this time it’s grating and wet like he’s on the edge of the precipice about to fall off. “Probably would be a lot better off anyway. No one to fuck things up.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Keith shouts.

For a moment, Lance is stunned into silence, standing frozen amongst the stars. In any other situation, Keith might take a jab at him, throw out a playful insult or enticing provocation. But this isn’t the time, not with Keith’s blood boiling in his ears and Lance falling apart.

Lance frowns as he finally chokes out, “I think—”

“No, you clearly don’t think,” Keith cuts him off, anger burning his throat and spewing out his mouth before he can stop it. Not at Lance, never at Lance, but at the circumstances for making him feel like he isn’t worth anything. Like he is nothing but a placeholder to be pushed aside when something better comes along. Worthless, replaceable, a burden. “That seems to be your main issue here as far as I can see.”

There’s a furrow in Lance’s brow as he folds his arms across his chest. “Hey now, wait—”

But Keith cuts him off again with another, “No.” Because he knows how Lance is, how once he sets his mind on something, he’s hard-pressed to veer off it. So it’s best Keith say his piece while he can, to wash away that stubborn gleam before it can even form. “I won’t stand by another tick while you belittle and undermine yourself. Because you’re wrong. You may not be the brain or the hands of this team but out of all of us, you have the most value.” 

The sheen to Lance’s eyes nearly makes Keith abandon his tirade for fear he’s making things worse. But he needs to get this out, he needs Lance to know how much he means to them all. 

How much he means to him.

Though, this is only the tip of the iceberg for Keith.

Keith takes a breath and looks at Lance with open honesty and conviction racing through his chest. “You’re the heart, Lance. This team can’t survive without you.”

He feels it in his chest, beating in time with his heart. The deeply rooted emotion that he has yet to delve into for fear of what it might be. For fear of what it might become. But it’s burning now, nearly scorching until all he can do is keep talking.

“Literally none of us would be here if it weren’t for you,” he continues, pointing at Lance in accusation. Accusation built on gratefulness, devotion, and admiration. “You connected with Blue, you started this. You brought Pidge and Hunk and hell even Shiro into this mess. And you’ve kept us here. You’ve kept us  _ alive _ not just on the battlefield but in spirit.”

He’s getting worked up, heart a staccato pulse he can feel hammering in his throat. And Lance just stands there, frozen by the charts, eyes glistening under the lights as he watches Keith spew out everything he’s kept close since they began this venture.

“This whole saving the universe thing,” Keith says, voice lowering, “it’s a hell of a lot of pressure to put on a bunch of teenagers and sometimes—sometimes it feels like too much. But you ease it effortlessly with your jokes and your laughter.” A chuckle escapes Keith’s lips with a wave of his hand toward Lance. “Hell, even your flirting. You bring us together and keep us sane.”

He runs a hand through his hair as he breaks eye contact with Lance, suddenly shy with the raw emotion driving his words. “I have a family because of you. And I know that we haven’t always gotten along but know that you are important, Lance. If to no one else, at least to me.”

Keith goes very quiet, eyes widening at the realization of what he just said. He’s frozen where he stands as the burning in his chest radiates outward until his whole body is alight with a heat that pools in his cheeks with his admission. 

His heart throbs.

But it’s out there, on full display and Keith finally,  _ finally _ allows himself to discern that emotion that has been eating at his heart for a while now.

It’s beyond just teammates, beyond the friendship he shares with the others. It’s more ingrained, more overpowering, the kind of emotion that makes him want to do stupid things and break out of his comfort zone. To unearth his most vulnerable parts and dive deep into those feelings he keeps under tight lock and key.

And apparently confess to Lance’s face how much he truly cares for him.

Well, there’s no turning back now.

Just as the silence grows to near unbearable levels and Keith’s anxiety is about to get the better of him, Lance moves. He doesn’t say a word as he steps forward, his face softening ever so slightly with the tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. For a split second, Keith’s heart sinks thinking Lance is leaving the room, that his heartfelt speech and confession are to be left unanswered. That he had said all the wrong things and Lance was no better off than before.

He’s mistaken, of course.

A soft watery smile settles on Lance’s face as he stops in front of Keith. It’s truly a thing of beauty, wet and not nearly at the beaming strength it usually is, but its real and genuine and a smile none the less.

All because of Keith.

Keith is still struggling to comprehend that maybe, just maybe he hadn’t fucked this all up when Lance leans forward and places a gentle sweet kiss on Keith’s cheek. 

Warmth washes through Keith's body fast and furious even as his mind struggles to keep up. He blinks, eyes wide. He blinks again.

“Thanks, team leader,” Lance whispers, smile deepening with the red of his cheeks. Then he brushes past Keith and exits the room with a  _ whoosh _ of the door.

Keith stands frozen on the spot, shocked and stunned and confused at what just happened. He brings his hand up and gently touches the spot lips had met his cheek. 

Where Lance had kissed him.

Oh. Shit.

Keith gasps aloud as the enormity of the situation slams into him with full force. And then he whirls around and races through the door, giving chase to his fleeing heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my Instagram for more Klance and VLD drabbles and short fics: [staymagwrites](https://www.instagram.com/staymagwrites/)


End file.
